OAS ready to support Venezuela election process

The Organization of American States (OAS) has declared its readiness to assist Venezuela in a "transition process toward elections." This statement comes amid ongoing international efforts to foster political change in the South American nation.

OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin conveyed the organization's preparedness, stating, "We are ready to support the transition process toward elections in Venezuela. We have talked about it. We are in discussions. Venezuela remains a member country." His remarks were made in Panama, prior to the 56th OAS General Assembly.

These developments follow the United States' recent initiative to bring the 2015 opposition parliament and the current Chavista legislature to the negotiating table. This move aims to expedite Venezuela's transition, nearly six months after the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration has outlined a multi-stage plan for Venezuela, beginning with stabilization, followed by recovery, and culminating in transition.

Major opposition factions and their leaders, María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia, have advocated for "serious, firm, and responsible" negotiations with the government of acting president Delcy Rodríguez. They seek U.S. accompaniment to "restore democracy" through a presidential election. The OAS General Assembly in Panama will coincide with the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress, a historic 1826 meeting convened by Simón Bolívar to unify American states.